Turkmen Grandmaster Saparmyrat Atabayev captured third place at the Karshi Open 2026 international chess tournament, which recently concluded in Uzbekistan.

The high-level competition, dedicated to the memory of the prominent educator Ismat Shukurov, brought together 56 elite players from 10 different countries. The tournament followed the classic Swiss system across 9 intensive rounds. The final standings were incredibly tight, as the top three players all finished with an equal score of 7 out of a possible 9 points, leaving the podium positions to be decided by tie-break evaluation.

The ninth and final round proved to be the decisive turning point for the Turkmen grandmaster. Playing with the black pieces, Atabayev faced the tournament leader, Israeli Grandmaster Evgeny Alekseev. Securing a crucial victory under pressure, Atabayev propelled himself directly into the top three, earning a well-deserved cash prize of 30 million Uzbek soums (approximately $2,500 USD).

Turkmenistan's second representative at the event, Grandmaster Yusup Atabayev, delivered a strong performance as well, accumulating 6 points to secure 8th place in the final standings.